By Kristina Meinig, Vice President, Market Development
A recent episode of IAB Pulse discussed made-for-advertising (MFA) websites and the challenges of creating standards to identify and separate MFAs from quality media. IAB’s Angelina Eng led the discussion with digital advertising vets Scott Cunningham (Cunningham.tech Consulting) and Rob Beeler (Beeler.tech) who shared insights on current standards and how the industry can help publishers stand out for creating quality content.
Here are three takeaways about where the industry is headed.
It’s Challenging to Discern MFAs
Made-for-advertising websites are designed to generate advertising revenue, often at the expense of content quality and user experience. For this reason, MFA sites are also referred to as "made-for-arbitrage." The differences between MFAs and legitimate publishers are sometimes hard to discern. Publishers may use one or two tactics (such as buying traffic or having a high ad density) to maximize ad revenue that causes them to be flagged as an MFA, while true MFAs use multiple tactics. Despite these similarities, the group discussed the need to identify quality publishers so they are not penalized for using tactics similar to MFA sites.
Solutions are Evolving to Help Buyers and Quality Media
The group highlighted several industry initiatives, each aiming to bring order and transparency to this complex issue.
- Industry Definitions: In September 2023, the 4A’s, ANA, WFA and ISBA defined MFAs. This effort was a significant step toward understanding MFA sites, yet further refinement is necessary to clarify nuances and identify which tactics are acceptable for publishers to use sparingly.
- Publisher Tools: The Brand Safety Institute, in partnership with DeepSee, ANA, 4A’s and Jounce, is developing a portal for publishers to determine whether they have been flagged as an MFA by content verification companies and/or demand side partners, and understand the reasons behind such classification.
- Buyer Tools: The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) introduced a toolset to help buyers create effective block lists and promote best practices in media buying.
A critical missing piece: Independent third-party review, validation and scoring
One of the key takeaways from the discussion is the need for an independent third-party assessment of inventory to the MFA standards. Scott Cunningham spoke about AAM’s history of providing industry assurance and the potential for AAM to play a pivotal role in protecting the market from MFA waste.
As an organization dedicated to enhancing trust and transparency in the media ecosystem, AAM welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this crucial effort. Kudos to Angelina Eng, Scott Cunningham and Rob Beeler for their insights and for bringing these challenges into focus. Your expertise and enthusiasm continue to drive our industry forward.
